Feeding control for cigar machines



July 19, 1960 Filed July 14, 1958 J. O. TRUJILLO VALDESPINO FEEDING CONTROL FOR CIGAR MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /2 /NvE/vrof? JOSE Une-STES Wwf/L0 l/aL @ESP/N0 A TTOR/VEY m M\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\Y July 19, 1960 Filed July 14, 1958 J. O. TRUJILLO VALDESPINO FEEDING CONTROL FOR CIGAR MACHINES lll/Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MA/vwL u/voELoAa RESET 92 /oa /104 6 90 sw/ ove-M0440 OFF //0 /0'6 /02 94 98 Sme 'mi 34 /32 y 'IlL l F/e 4 v ATTORNEY United Staes teuf FEEDING CONTROL FOR CIGAR MACHINES Jos 0. Trujillo Valdespno, Infanta 456, Havana, Cuba Filed July 14, 1958, Ser. No. 748,241

3 Claims. (Cl. 131-21) This invention relates generally to cigar manufacturing machines and is more particularly concerned with the feed control of the long iller of cigar making machines.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a feeding control subject to pressure of iiller material such as tobacco being `fed into a machine, wherein said feed- Y ing control is operatively connected to clutch means controlling the operation of the machine whereby overloading or underloading of the filler tobacco being fed will result in deactivating the machine until the properdensity of material is fed therein. Y

A more particular object of this invention is to provide a pressure responsive plate operatively associated inthe path of movement of material being fed into a cigar making machine, the pressure responsive plate being operatively connected to switch means incorporatedl in a series circuit controlling a clutch whereby overloading and underloading of the material being fed results in deactivation of the clutch and machine.

These together with other objects and advantages of the machine will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing, lthere is shown one preferred embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the novel feed control of the invention; y

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 2,-,-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram illustrating the series control circuit of the novel feed control of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical section 'taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a still further enlarged exploded perspective view of the handle used to reset the feed control manually after it has been deactivated.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a fragmentary portion of a cigar filling machine is indicated generally at 10, this machine including a feed channel 12 defined by spaced parallel vertically disposed endless belts 14 and 16 and an underlying horizontally disposed endless belt 18. The belts 14, 16 and 18 are retained in their proper oriented position by means of upper plates 20 60 and 22, and lower plates 24 and 26.

The tobacco T is moved in the channel 12, see Fig.

V2, from left to right, and it-isthe object of thisinven- 'tional in the art; however, a clutch of the character involved is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. y

`Overlying the channel 12, see Fig. 2, is a support plate 32 including a pair of upwardly extending spaced ears 5 34 vand 36 which have mounted therebetween a vertically pivotal T-shaped support member 38. Mounted on a support portion 40 Voverlying the portion 32 is a vertically pivotal element 42 which has retained thereon by means of cap screws 44 an elongated lever 46 which overlies the channel 12 as clearly seen in Figs. l and' 2.

Underlying the Aportion 32 and overlying and enclos'- ing the channel 12 is a support plate 48 having secured at its forward edge a transverse hinge 50 to which a vertically pivotal pressure foot or plate 52 is secured.

Extending vertically from the upper surface of the foot and is connected betweena bifurcated connecting ear portion 60 by means of a transverse connecting element 62. The ear portion 60 depends from the under'surface of a rectangularly shaped housing `64 which opens at one side asclearly seen in Figs. l and 5. The housing 64 includes a channel shaped lower portion 66, see Fig.

5, vthrough which extends the terminal end of the lever V46 which is retained therein by means of a suitable Allen screw 68. The support member 38 hassecured therein a vertically extending bolt 70 which extends through a longitudinally extending slot 72 in the lever 46. Circumposed about the bolt is a coil spring 74 retained under Icompression by means of a suitable retaining nut and washer 76. The coil spring '74 and nut and washer 76 35 are utilized to provide a particular initial compression on the foot plate 52 Ythrough the lever 46.

` AA pair `of compression plates or walls 78 and 80 vextend vertically on opposite sides `of the channel 12 and are retained to the plates 20 and 22 by means of an overlying lateral flange 82 (only one being shown in lFig. l) by suitable cap screws 84. The compression plates ,78 and include forward diverging nose portions 86 and 88, respectively. The walls 78 and 80, see Fig. 2, guide the tobacco T beneath the foot plate 52 and when an excessive amountrof tobacco passes therebeneath, a ypressure results on the under side of the plate 52 to cause the same to rise, accordingly causing the lever 46 and housing 64 to rise. YWhen an insuflicient amount of '"tobacco T passes into the channel 12 beneath the foot 0 plate 52, the foot plate will descend. These so-called overload and underload conditions ofthe channel 12 are undesirable and cause a lack of uniformity in the iilling material of the cigarsV being manufactured. The housing 64 has secured to its back wall 88 alaterally extending Cv-shaped abutment element including upper and lower legs 92 and 94, respectively. Also secured to the back wall 88 in spaced relation from the C-shape'd Vabutment element 90 is an LV-shaped abutment element 961 including a laterally projecting abutment leg 98.

A Mounted on the compression plate 80 by means of a ysuitable nut-and-bolt assembly is a vertically extending rectangular housing`102 which has disposed therein conventional toggle'switches i104, and106 including operatingdevers 108`andY 110, respectively, in alignment with and engageable by the legs 92 and 94 of the C-shaped element, and leg 98 of the Lshaped element. The switches 104 and 106 are connected in series as clearly seen in the wiring diagram of Fig. 4 for a purpose to 70 subsequently be described in detail.

Extending through an aperture 112 in the top wall 114 of the housing 64 is an elongated manually engageable `lf-eftented July 19,1860

rod 116, the lower end of which, see Fig. 6, includes an enlarged cylindrical portion 118 which includes a laterally opening bore 120. The bore 120 receives the end portion ofthe Operating lever 110 of the'toggle switch 106 therein which is retained in this bore by means of a split collar 122 which extends around the cylindrical portion 118 on opposite sides of the lever position 110 which is disposed in the bore 120. A suitable fastening rivet 124 is utilized to retain the collar on the cylindrical portion 118. The rod 116 when manually depressed again closes the circuit after it has been opened due to an overload condition. Projecting forwardly from the housing 64, see Figs. 1 and 2, for example, is a manually engageable reset lever portion 126 which is utilized to move the lever 46 and close the circuit after it has been opened due to an underload condition.

Considering Fig. 4, the switch 104, identified as SW.1 which controls underload conditions is connected in series by means of a suitable conductor 128 to the switch 196, identified as SW.2, the overload switch, which in turn is connected in series by means of a conductor 130 to a suitable source of potential 132. One terminal of the source of potential is connected to a magnetic clutch 134 which in turn is connected in series to the switch 104 by means of a suitable conductor 136.

Operation It is rst determined the amount of initial compression to be applied to the lever 46 through the nut and washer 76 and compression spring 74. Tobacco T is guided into the channel 112 by means of the belts 14, 16 and 18 which causes a pressure to be imposed on the underside of the foot plate 52. yIf this pressure exceeds a predetermined amount the lever 46 will rise wherein the abutment foot 98 of the L-shaped element 96 will engage the lever 110 to open the circuit of the switch 106 thus stopping the operation of the feed mechanism. This is what is known as an overload condition and after some of the tobacco T has been removed so that the tobacco passing through the channel 12 is of a particular maximum density, the reset element or lever 116 is depressed to once more close the toggle switch 106 and close the circuit to the magnetic clutch and permit continued operation of the feed of the cigar making machine.

As previously mentioned, the tobacco T passing beneath the foot plate 52 causes an initial pressure on this plate and when this pressure falls below a predetermined value Vdue to the fact that the density of the tobacco is under this predetermined value, the plate S2 will descend. When this occurs the leg 92 of the C-shaped element 90 will engage the lever 108 of the toggle switch 104 to open the switch 104 and the circuit connected to the magnetic clutch 134 thus stopping the operation of the feed mechanism. This is what is known as an underload condition and after it has been rectified by inserting an additional amount of tobacco in the feed channel 112, the lever portion 126 is engaged and the lever 46 is raised resulting in the leg 94 of the abutment element 90 engaging the lever 108 of the toggle switch to close the circuit once more and permit operation of the feed mechanism. -In the event it is desired to manually open the circuit to the magnetic clutch 134, the lever 116 can be engaged to raise the lever 110 to open the toggle switch and accordingly the circuit to the source of potential It is to be understood that the form of the invention shown and described is to be taken as a preferred exd. ample of the same and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the cooperating portions may be made as do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A feed control for use in controlling the compactness of material being fed to a machine utilizing material of a controlled density comprising means for feeding said material, feed channel means through which material is mechanically fed, a control member at said feed channel subject to engagement by the material fed therethrough7 a housing connected to said control member and adapted to move therewith, a toggle switch mounted on said machine adapted to stop said feeding means when actuated, a C-shaped member having a pair of outstanding legs mounted in said housing, a lever connected to said toggle switch and extending between the legs of said C-shaped member whereby when said housing descends due to an underload of material being fed, the upper leg of said C-shaped member actuates the lever of said toggle switch to stop the feeding means, and means for Vmanually resetting said switch when said underload has been corrected thereby actuating said toggle switch by contact of said lower leg with said switch lever and restarting the feeding means.

2. A feed control for use in controlling the compactness of material being fed to a machine utilizing material of a controlled density comprising means for feeding said material, feed channel means through which material is mechanically fed, a control member at said feed channel subject to engagement by the material fed therethrough, a housing connected to said control member and adapted to move therewith, a toggle switch mounted on said machine adapted to stop said feeding means when actuated, an L-shaped member mounted in said housing said member having an outstanding leg thereon, a lever connected to said toggle switch and extending over said outstanding leg, whereby when said housing rises due to an overload of material being fed, said leg engages said lever and actuates the switch to stop the feeding means, and means for manually resetting said switch when the overload has been corrected thereby restarting said feeding means.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which are provided a second toggle switch, an L-shaped member mounted in said housing, said member having an outstanding leg thereon, a second lever connected to said second toggle switch and extending over said outstanding leg, whereby when said housing rises due to an overload of material being fed, said leg engages said second lever and actuates said second switch to stop the feeding means, and means for manually resetting said second switch when overload has been corrected, said rst and second switches being connected in series.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 442,278 Williams Dec. 9, 1890 1,688,789 Comiskey Oct. 23, 1928 l,864,728 Hawkins et al June 28, 1932 2,163,415 Stephano .lune 20, 1934 2,192,903 Ferenci Mar. 12, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 506,883 Great Britain June 6, 1939 

